John Sessions Stadium

John Sessions Stadium at Jacksonville University

Sport Hosted:
- Baseball
Seating Capacity:
- Fixed Seating: 1,500

Description:

Dedicated on April 15, 1957, as Alexander Brest Field and located on the picturesque banks of the St. John’s River, John Sessions Stadium at Alexander Brest Field provides the Dolphin baseball program with one of the best on-campus collegiate facilities in the nation. The face and name of Sessions Stadium have changed quite a bit over the past two decades thanks to many generous contributions and hours of hard work under the direction of Head Coach Chris Hayes.

Originally built as part of a campus-wide sports complex including a track, soccer field, nine-hole golf course, and tennis courts thanks to a generous donation by Alexander Brest, Brest Field has been the home of the Dolphin baseball program since its inaugural 1957 season and has seen many renovations since.

In 1993 the seating capacity was increased to 1,500 with the addition of 1,200 chairback and bench seats behind home plate and 300 bleacher seats that extended down the outfield lines. A then school-record crowd of 2,954 fans witnessed #3 Florida State defeat JU, 6-3, on April 19, 1995.

Phase II of the renovation added the JU locker room and improved restrooms in 1997. Phase III, which was completed simultaneously with Phase II, saw the completion of a new press box, as well as the addition of the visiting locker room, baseball staff offices, and athletic training facility.

A lighting system was first installed in 1984, and the outfield wall was originally erected in 1988 to replace a chain-link fence. The playing surface was upgraded with a sprinkler system in 1991,and a new scoreboard was installed prior to the 1998 season, when the facility was renamed John Sessions Stadium at Alexander Brest Field. The stadium was re-dedicated to Sessions in February of 1998. In memoriam of his passing on November 14, 2009, after a year-long fight against brain cancer, JU posthumously awarded a permanent parking space and special gold-colored seat to Sessions.

In recent years, the facility has seen numerous additional upgrades including a new Daktronics videoboard prior to the 2023 season, a remodel of the team locker room in 2024, and the replacement of the entire outfield wall with a new frame and backstop padding prior to the 2026 season.